Automatic circuit-changing switch.



A. H. ADAMS & L. POLINKOWSKY.

AUTOMATIC CIRCUIT CHANGING SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 4. I9I6.

Patented. J an. 29, 191&

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Ar/hm Adams.

A. H. ADAMS & L. POLINKOWSKY. AUTOMATIC cmcun CHANGlNGSWlTGH.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.4,1916.

Patented Jan. 29,1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- as ours.

ARTHUR H. ADAMS, 0F SPARKILL, NEW YORK, AND LIPA POLINKOWSKY, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS T0 WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC CIRCUIT-CHANGING- SWITCH.

atinas. specification oftetters n Patented Janna, mi.

Application filed August 4., 1916. Serial No. 113,106.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ARTHUR H. ADAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sparkill, Rockland county, New York, and LIPA POLINKOWSKY, a subject of the Czar of Russia, residing at 70 Westbourne Terrace, London, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Circuit-Changing Switches, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to automatic circuit changing switches of the type in which an operating member is adapted to be moved through a plurality of positions in each of which certain circuit changes are accomplished. The embodiment of the invention disclosed herein is designed more particularly for use in automatic telephone systems and is adapted to be used as a register or register controlling device.

Switches of this general character are well known and they are adapted to be used in automatic telephone systems where it is desired to register or store controlling impulses and to subsequently control automatic apparatus, in accordance with the impulses so registered and stored. Devices of this general character are shown as applied to telephone systems in Patent No. 1,157,881 of October 26, 1915, to McBerty.

The object of the present invention is to provide a switch of this character in which both the registering and controlling move ments may be accomplished reliably and in which the movements of the switch from position to position may take place in a minimum of time, that is in which the operating parts of the switch are quick acting.

These objects are obtained in the present device by the employment of a spring driven cam barrel which carries the cams for operating the various contact springs and controlling the motion of such cam barrel by means of an electromagnetic escapement mechanism. By virtue of this construction the movement under the control of the escapement mechanism from positiento position is very rapid. Means are also provided for winding up the spring which drives the cam barrel at the end of a cycle of operation of such cam barrel. Further than this, a plurality of cam barrels which are mutually independent of one another may be mounted on a common shaft and the driving springs thereof wound up by a common driving mechanism. Thus a complete registermg and controlling equipment comprising several registers may be assembled in a very compact manner.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the switch with a portion of the frame broken away to more clearly disclose the escapement mechanism;

F ig. 2 is a side elevation with the cam barrel shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the upper portion of the switch at right angles to the view of Fig. 2 in order to show more clearly the arrangement of the contact springs;

Fig. i is a diagrammatic view of a portion of the winding mechanism; and

Fig. 5 is a type of circuit arrangement with which the switch disclosed is adapted to be employed.

Referring now to the drawings-1 designates the frame a forwardly projecting part 2 of which forms a bearing for the shaft 3.. Upon the shaft 3 a plurality of cam barrels 4 are mounted being held in position between the collars 5 and 5 which are fixedly secured to the shaft. Secured to the top of each cam barrel 4 is a toothed escapement wheel 6 with the teeth of which an escapement lever 7 is adapted to cooperate. The lever 7 is secured to the armature 8 of an elcctromagnet 9. The armature 8, together with the lever 7 carried thereby is pivoted to the frame on a pair of screws 10 only one,

of which is shown in the d awing. A spring 11 attached to one end of the lever 7 and at the other end to the projection 12 on the frame, serves to maintain the lever with its outer end in its raised position. The cam barrel 4 carries a plurality of came 13 which cooperate with sets of contact springs 14, 15 and 16. There are as many cams provided on the cam barrel and sets of contact springs mounted on the frame which cot'aperate therewith as are necessary to bring abou the c rcuit changes required by the particular system with which the switch is adapted to operate, the number varying with. different circuits systems. As shown more particularly in Fig. E2, the con Illlllll positions and a sub-normal position for the tact springs 14,15 and 16 may beofdifferent widths in order to more easily coiiperate with the cams and to permit the cams being relatively narrow. The arrangement of the cams is such that the spring 15 may be brought into contact with either the springs 14: or 16. The escapement wheel 6 is provided with as many teeth as there are positions in which the switch may stop, with theexception of one position which will be referred to as the sub-normal position, in which the cam barrel is held in position independent of the escapement mechanism. Thenumber of positions in which any given switch may stop is determined by the requirements of the circuit arrangement with which it is'to be used and may be varied to suit any requirement by varying the number of teeth on the escapement wheel.

In'the arrangement disclosed there are 10 switch, hence there are'ten teeth and a space on 'th'e wheel which is not provided with a toothinter'mediate the first and last positions, which position for convenience will be referred to as a sub-normal position. At-

tached at one end of a collar 5 fixedly secured "to the shaft is a spiral spring 17 which surrounds a shaft 3 and which is attached at its other end to thecam barrel 4. This spring when suitably wound up by a mechanism which will be hereinafter described' serves to drive the cam barrel under the control of the" escapement wheel through the various positions, as determined bv the teeth on the escapement wheel. 'As indicated in Figs. 2 and 3 there may be and preferably area plurality of the cam barrels 4, escapement mechanisms 6, 7 8 and escapement magnets 9, there being as many barrels and escapement mechanisms provided as demanded by the requirements of the system to whichthe switch is to be applied. All of these barrels'and escapement mechanisms are-identically the same in construction and need not further be described.

' In order to wind up the spring 17 a form of magnetic clutch is provided comprising the; disks 18, 19 and the clutch magnet 20. The disk 19 is'driven from a constantly ro- 1 tating shaft 21 and when the magnet 20 is v energizedthe disk 19 is drawn into contact As shown in Fig. 1th register is 'provi which i 'wi'ththe disk 18 and drives the shaft 3 attached to the disk 18 for the purpose of Winding up the spring :17; Also mounted on the disk 18 is a disk 22 which cooperates with a roller23 carried by a'sp'ring arm 24 which aim carries an insulated piece 25 adapted to operate the contact springs and 27.

1a ar 5 of each th 'a' projection 28, s Q e toengage with the' pin 29 the cam barrel 4 in the subnormal and holds the first tooth 30 in which position the cam barrel is held until permitted to move by the energization of the escapement magnet. This position is the home or zero position of the cam barrel. Also as soon as the shaft 3 begins to move the wheel 23 rides out of the depression on the disk 22 and operates the contact springs 26 and 27 which maintains a circuit for the clutch magnet 20 until the wheel 23 again enters the depression on the disk 20 and opens such circuit and stops the shaft, thus the shaft 3 makes a single revolution in its winding operation. When the shaft 3 has completed this winding movement as above described and stops, the projection 28 will occupy the position shown in Fig. 1 but in this case owing to the fact that the tooth 30 has moved over into contact with the end of the escapement lover 7, the pin 29 will be on the opposite side of the projection 28 from that shown in Fig. 1. It will be observed that the escapement lever 7 is provided with two projections or teeth 31 and 32, the projection 31 being adapted to engage a tooth on the escapement wheel 6 when the magnet 9 is energized and the projection 32 being adapted to engage the tooth when the magnet is de'energized. As a result of this arrangement and as is common in escapement mechanisms of this class, the escapement wheel. 6 will move the complete distance from one tooth to another in two steps moving a portion of such distance upon the energization of the magnet and the remaining portion upon the deenergization thereof. The spacing of the teeth upon the escapement wheel relative to the spacing of the projections of the escapement lever may be chosen so that these two movements are equal, that is to say, when the movement from tooth to tooth of the escapen'ient wheels is in two equal steps or the arrangement may be such that one of these steps is considerably longer than the other. However, for convenience in describing the operation of the device these two steps of movement will beWrst and second halfi eing understood that these wo half-steps together cause a movement of the escapement wheel and the cam barrel controlled thereby through one position.

that is to say, from one tooth to the next tooth.

It follows from the above, therefore, that naaaoae with the escapement wheel and the cam barrel in the home position that ten energize.- tions and deenergizations of the escapement magnet 9 will be necessary to move the escapement wheel and cam barrel from the home position to the sub-normal position.

eferring now to Fig. 5 in which is shown a circuit arrangement with which the switch forming the subject of the invention is adapted to operate, as a register and controlling equipment. In the arrangement shown the registering and controlling equip ment comprises four registers indicated generally bythe escapement magnets 929 9 and 9 Each of these registers comprises in addition to the escapement magnet a cam barrel and a plurality of contact springs operated thereby, however,'only two sets of contact springs are shown and the cam barrels are not shown. The springs individual to each register are inclosed in the dotted line rectangle in which the escapement magnet is also inclosed. All of the cam barrels of the registers forming the equipment are mounted on a common shaft which is. op erated by a common winding mechanism of which only the clutch magnet 20 is shown. Also as shown the registers are constructed to have eleven positions indicated from 0 to 10 of which position 0 is the normal or home position and 10 is the sub-normal. position. Incoming and outgoing sequence switches 100 and 200 are common to the equipment and the interrupter 305 is common to a number of equipments.

The line a leads to an impulse sender (not shown) which may be the usual sending device at thesubscribers substation or an operators sender depending upon whether the register and controlling equipment is used in connection with an automatic or a semi-automatic system.

As soon as the registering and controlling equipment is taken for use the line a is connected through suitable switches (not shown) and a circuit is closed for the step ping relay 300. The energization of the relay 300 drives sequence switch 100 into position 3 over contact 101 top. In. position 3 of the sequence switch 100, contact 102 top is closed and as the relay 300 is still energized a circuit is closed for the escapement magnet 9 of the first register and the cam barrel thereof moves from position 0 one half-step. The impulse sender is now oprated and interrupts the circuit of the relay a number of times equal to the complement of the desired digit. For each inter ruption or impulse the stepping relay 300 is deenergized and energized and the escapement magnet 9 is correspondingly deenergized and energized permitting the cam barrel to move through as many positions there are impulses sent over the line a. This movement of the register under the control of impulses from a sending device is known as the setting or registering move ment. As is usual the setting impulses for each digit are followed by a long impulse, in the, case assumed a long interruption. As the result of this long interruption the line relay 300 is deenergized for a period long enough to permit the slow acting relay 30.1 to operate over a circuit including contact 103 bottom. The operation of relay 301 drives the sequence switch 100 into position 6, in which position contact 10:2 bottom is closed and the second register 9* is placed in operative relation with the stepping relay 300. It may be stated here that in the system disclosed owing to the interoperation oi the sequence switches 100 and 200, one register may be and usually is performing its controlling operation while a subsequent register is being set, but for convenience and. for the sake of clearness the setting of all the registers will first be described and then the controlling operation will be described.

In the normal operation, unless the call has been abandoned, the circuit to the impulse sender will have been closed before the sequence switch 100 reaches position 6 so that relay 300 will be energized and when the sequence switch. 100 reaches position 6, the escapement magnet 9 will. be energized and the register will. move one half-step; This register will now be set in response to the second series of impulses from the impulse sender in the same manner as the first register. The long impulse at the end of this selifls of setting impulses will as before cause the operation of the slow acting relay 301, which wil drive the sequence switch 100 into posit-ion 9. When the sequence switch 100 reaches position 9, relay 300 will be again energized and circuit for the es capement magnet 9 of the third register will be established over sequence switch spring 107 and this register will be moved a haltstep. This register will now be set in response to the third series of setting impulses in the manner above described. The long impulse which follows this series of setting impulses will as before described cause the operation of the slow acting relay, which will drive the sequence switch 100 into position 12.

in position 12 of the sequence switch 100, the relay 300 being energized, a circuit will be established for the escapement magnet 9 of the fourth register, causing such register to move through its first half-step= In. response to the fourth series of setting in] pulses the fourth register will be set, and the long impulse which. follows this series will cause the operation of the slow acting relay 301, which will drive the sequence switch 100 into position 15 in. which position it will wait for the COmPlQl-lOII of the controlling operation of the registers.

#The leads indicated at b and c at the up per right'hand'portion of the figure form a part of the controlling or fundamental circuit extending to selector switches which are to be controlled from the registering and controlling equipment. These switches may be of any well known type and for convenience in description will be assumed to be of the type disclosed in the patent reselector switch is started in movement. It should be observed that in positions 3, 7, 9

and 11 sequence switch springs 202 and 208 connect the various registers successively in operative relation to the stepping relay 302.

Although the fundamental circuit is also established in these positions at' spring 203, it may happen that the fundamental circuit is not closed, and hence the relay 302 may not be energizedsoon enough to prevent the register associated therewith from moving through one half-step under the control of the back contact of relay 302. In order to avoid this possible false operation, the'relay 304 is provided, which is energized in positions 2, 6, 8 and 10 of sequence switch 200 over spring 204 and is locked up over a circuit from battery, 304, front contact thereof, 211'and back contact of 302 to ground. Therefore, in all cases the relay 304 maintains open the circuit from 302 to the registers until after the fundamental circuit is closed and relay 302 is energized. Assuming now the sequence switch 200 in position 3 and the relay 302 energized, and relay 304 deenergized, as the selector switch under control moves the relay 302 will be shunted and consequently deenergized for each step or stage ofrmovement of the selector switch. For each deenergization and energization of the relay 302 the escapement magneti) will be energized and deenergized and will step the register from position to position until position 10 is reached when a circuit will be established from back contact of relay ,302, register springs 401, 400, spring 205, to cut off relay 303,.and sequence switch 200 in parallel. The. operation of relay: 303 will open the fundamental circuit and stop the movement of the selector-switch and the sequence switch 200will move into position 4 and will wait in .such' position until i, the sequence switch 100 moves into position 7 after the second register has been set. \Vhen the sequence switch 100 reaches position 7, assuming as is the case in an operative system that a second selector has been also associated with the fundamental circuit, a circuit will be closed over contact springs 105 and 206 to drive'the sequence switch 200 into position 7, in which position the second register is associated with the stepping relay 302. The controlling movement of this register takes place in the same manner as the corresponding movement of the first register and when it reaches position 10 a circuit is closed from the back contact of the relay 302, through springs 202, 501, 500, 401, 400,205 to cut off relay 303 and sequence switch 200. The operation of relay 303 opens the fundamental circuit and permits the extension of such circuit to another selector switch. The sequence switch 200 moves into position 8 and there waits until thethird register has been set. When the sequence switch 100 reaches position 10 a circuit is closed at contact 106 over contact 206 to drive sequence switch 200 into position 9. In position 9 the third register and its escapement magnet 9 is placed in operative relation to the stepping relay 302 by means of contact 208. This register now operates in its controlling movement and in conjunction with the stepping relay controls the selector switch. When this register reaches position 10 a circuit is closed from the back contact of the relay 302, through contacts 208, 601 600, 501, 500, 401, 400, 205 to relay 303 and sequence switch 200. The operation of 303 opens the fundamental circuit and stops selection in the selector switch and at the same time the sequence switch 200 moves into position 10 and waits until the last register has been set, when the sequence switch upon reaching position 13 closes a circuit over contacts 108 and 210 to drive the sequence switch 200 into position 11, in which position the last register will be associated with. the stepping relay 302, and the fundamental circuit will be reestablished. The last register will new control selection and when it reaches position 10 a circuit will be closed from the back contact of relay 302, through contacts 208, 701, 700, 601, 600, 501, 500, 401, 400, 205, to the cutofl' relay 303 and the sequence switch 200. The operation of relay 303 opens the fundamental circuit and stops sclection in the selector switch and the sequence switch 200 will move through positions 12 to 18 and back to position 1. The sequence switch will not stop in position 13 as in position 13 a circuit is closed for the sequence switch from interrupter 305, over springs 205, 400, 500, 600, 700, 208 and 209. As the sequence switch is passing through positions 14 to 16 as all of the registers are menses now in position 10, the sub-normal position, a circuit is closed for the clutch magnet 20 of the winding mechanism from ground at contact 209, contacts 208, 701, 700, 601, 600, 501, 500, 4.01, 400, 205 to 20 and battery. T his starts the winding mechanism to operate. As explained in connection with the construction of the registers as soon as the winding mechanism is started the various cam barrels will move from the sub-normal position to the home or normal position,

' the winding mechanism will however con- 111 principle tinue to operate under. the control of the contact 800 until the winding shaft has completed a complete revolution, when the contact 800 will be opened. When the sequence switch 200 reaches normal position the contact 207 will be closed and will drive the sequence switch 100 into position 1 over contact 101. As soon as'the sequence switches 100 and 200 reach position 1 the registering and controlling equipment may be again taken for use and as all of the registers are in the normal position the setting operation of the registers may begin before the winding mechanism has completed its operation as this Will not interfere in any way with the operation of such winding mechanism.

Having thus described the normal operation of'the system, the operation of the systom will now be described in the event that the call is abandoned at anytime before the controlling operation of the registers is completed. As the operation will be the same whether the call is abandoned immediately after the registering controlling equipment is taken for use or whether the call is abandoned just before the controlling operation of the last register is completed, the first case will be assumed. It

will be recollected that as soon as the circuit from the impulse sender was extended to the registering and controlling equipment the relay 300 was energized and the sequence switch 100 moved to position 3. When this position was reached the first register was moved through the first half step. If the call is abandoned at this point the circuit of the relay 300 will be opened and will remain open; therefore the slow acting relay will be energized and will remain energized until the sequence switch 100 leaves position 12. As the result of the energization of the relay 201, the sequence switch 100 will move from position 3 direct to position 15, and as the relay 300 is still deenergized a circuit will be closed at contact 103 in position 15 to drive the sequence switch to position 18. In passing positions 4 to 6 a clrcuit 1s closed at contact 104 to drive the sequence switch 200 into position 3 and when the sequence switch 100 reaches position 18 a circuit is closed including contacts 104. and 201 to drive the sequence switch 200 into position 13. In this position the interrupter will be connected to the escapement magnet 9 over contacts 209, 208 and701 and the last register will be stepped around under the control of the interrupter until it reaches the subnormal or position 10. In position 10 of this register the contact 701 is opened and the contact 700 is closed so that the circuit from the interrupter is extended to the escapement magnet 9 'of the third register, causing this register to he stepped around to its tenth position.

When this register reaches position 10 the circuit from the interrupter will be extended over contacts 600 and 501 to theescapement magnet 9 of the second register and this register will he stepped around into its tenth position, in which position the circuit contacts of the interrupter will be extended over contacts 500 and 4.01 to the escapement magnet 9 of the first register. As this register was moved through thefirst half step upon the first energization of the relay 300, it is obvious that upon the deenergization of this relay when the call was abandoned the reg ister will have moved through the other half step into position 1. Therefore, when the circuit from the interrupter is extended to the escapement magnet 9 this register will move into position 10 andin such position the next impulse from the interrupter will be directed over contacts 400 and 205 to the sequence switch 200 to drive it out of posi tion 13 into position 1. In passing positions 14, 15 and 16 a circuit will be closed for the clutch magnet 20 over contacts 209, 208 and 205, thus starting the winding mechanism into operation. When the sequence switch 200 reaches position 1 a circuit will be closed at contact 207 to drive the sequence switch 100 into its normal position and the registering and controlling equipment may be again taken foruse. It will be apparent from the above that if any of the registers have been moved out of their normal posi tion and the call is abandoned, all of the registers will be stepped around to their subnormal positions and thus all of the driv ing springs unwound so that the operation of the winding mechanism will wind up all of the springs an equal amount.

What is claimed is:

1. In an automatic circuit changing switch, a rotatable shaft, a plurality of operating members independently and loosely mounted thereon, a plurality of springs one for each of said operating members, one end of each spring being connected to said shaft and the other end to its respective operating memher, individual means for independently moving said operating members, and a com mon means for subsequently rotating said shaft to wind up said springs.

2. In an automatic circuit changing device, a rotatable shaft, a plurality of independently operable members mounted on said shaft, individual spring means for driv ing said members, individual escapement' operating members, individual es'capement means mounted on said frame for controlling the'movement-of said contact operating members, and a common means for rewindi'ng said springs after said escapement means have been operated; V

4.111" an automatic circuit changing switch, a rotatableshaft, 'aplurality of independently'a'nd loosely operable-members mounted on said shaft, each adapted when started to complete'a cycle of movement andso interconnected that they are successively operated,eindividual spring means for driving said members, individual escapement mechanism for wsaid members for controlling the movement thereof, and a common mechanism for rewinding said springs after the I Copies 'of this patent. may be obtained for last of said operating members has completed its cycle of movement.

5; Aniautomatic clrcuit changing switch comprising'a rotatable shaft, a plurality of Contact operating members independently rotatably mounted on such shaft, springs connected to such shaft and operating members and'means' for rotating such shaft to wind up said springs.

--6, An automatic circuit changing switch comprisinga"plurality of independently operable contact operating members, a plurality of springs for operating such members one for each ofsaid contact operating members and a common means for rewinding suchspringswhen the operating members have-completed 'a 7 cycle of operations.-

- 7. A registering and controlling equip ment for automatictelephone exchange systems; comprising a plurality of registers eachadapted When'started to complete a cycle of movement and operative one after the othe'rga plurality ofsprings for driving such" registers one for each register and mechanism common to the equipment for rewinding said springs, said mechanism being operated after the cycle of movement of the last' operated register has been completed.

' ARTHUR H. ADAMS,

LIPA POLINKOVVSKY,

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Yatents.

' Washingto u 3:... V. s I 

